Never lost faith in ‘great athlete’ Johnson: Clarke

Sydney: Michael Clarke has said he had never lost faith in fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who has made a stunning comeback in the Australian Test team after an year long exile.

Johnson`s Test career seemed well and truly over after he broke down with a foot injury at the end of a horrible tour of South Africa just over a year ago, as he had decided to change his run-up mid-Test and sprayed the ball all over the place.

Young guns Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson then burst on to the scene and made sure Johnson was bumped well down the pace pecking order.

However, Australian captain Clarke always knew that Johnson would be back again sooner or later.

Clarke was delighted when Johnson returned from a year in Test exile to take six wickets against South Africa in Perth, and was also pleased with his man-of-the-match performance last week in Melbourne.

Clarke said he always knew how much talent Johnson had with the bat and the ball both, adding the left-hand pace man was one of the greatest athletes he has even seen play cricket.

The skipper feels Johnson’s time away from the game freshened his body and also freshened his mind, and the fast bowler is as hungry as he`s ever been.

Clarke also added that Johnson is enjoying leading young pace men in the team, and that is also reflecting on his bowling as well as batting during the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka.

Johnson brought up 200 Test wickets in Melbourne against Sri Lanka in a devastating display, breaking the thumb of Prasanna Jayawardene, then busting the finger of danger man Kumar Sangakkara.